Family jumps from burning building into cop's arms

The officer told the woman and her children to trust him, and caught each one safely

By Mike Valerio
NBC 12

PETERSBURG, Va. — A mother and her two kids jumped out of the second floor of a burning apartment building into the waiting arms of a Petersburg police officer below.

Officer Wendell James was the first person at the scene of 19 Woodmere Drive, arriving just before 1:00 a.m. Tuesday. James calmed April Genao into tossing her two children into his arms, and then coaxed the military wife into taking a leap of faith of her own.

"I knew I had to do it. So, I just threw my daughter out and he caught her," Genao said. "Then I was going to throw my son out, but [my son] just pushed me out of the way and jumped himself."